Winter General Membership Minutes

Please review the minutes from the 2010 General Membership meeting:

Junior Friends
General Membership Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

New Member orientation began at 6:30 p.m., social half hour was at 7:00 p.m., and the meeting was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Adrienne Fox Luscombe, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:39 p.m.

Adrienne Fox Luscombe welcomed the membership and introduced Karen Hughes, CEO of the The Campagna Center (TCC).

Karen Hughes thanked the membership for their hard work and dedication in making the 2009 Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend (SCWW) a success. She discussed the changes that were made to the weekend, including condensing it to two days. The one day marketplace worked well and the Taste to Scotland was wonderful. This coming year marks the 40th anniversary of the SCWW and planning has already commenced. Karen shared some updates regarding TCC. She thanked the Junior Friends for their generosity in donating and raising money through the boutique gift wrapping event for grocery gift cards for Head Start families.

Adrienne continued by thanking everyone for their commitment to making SCWW a success. Lots of positive feedback has been coming in to TCC regarding the weekend. Adrienne thanked all of the committee Co-Chairs for their hard work and leadership.
Laura Fortsch, Vice Chair, thanked everyone who gave so much to make every SCWW event a success. Laura is working to make sure every member is in good standing by paying their dues, participating on a committee, as well as completing a Day of Duty, each Fall and Spring. Junior Friends also have an option to work on a year-long standing committee. Standing Committees include Events Donations Committee (EDC), Media Relations and Hospitality. Please check before you leave tonight to see if you still owe dues. You can give a check to Laura, mail it to TCC or pay online at www.campagnacenter.org. Committee sign-ups for the spring will be available after the meeting and will be sent to the entire membership via email.

Anne Marie Chotvacs, Chair Ex-Officio, is looking to secure a slate of women to serve on the Junior Friends Board of Directors next year. The nomination form will be posted on the Junior Friends blog (www.juniorfriendsoftcc.blogspot.com). Anyone can nominate a member. All members, including new members, may serve on the Board as long as they are in good standing. New Members cannot serve as New Member Chair, as they must serve on the board prior to being slated for this position.

Brandi Pensoneau, New Member Chair, invited the New Members to stand. Brandi is also available to meet one on one with any interested new members for coffee, etc.

Natalie Johnston and Anne-Ashley Crocker, Toast to Fashion (TTF) Co-Chairs, announced that the event will be held on Thursday, May 6th at Belle Haven Country Club. This year the vendors in the fashion show will also be in the marketplace. The marketplace will be entirely fashion oriented. There are three Spring Committees members can participate on: Show Committee (formerly Models Committee), Marketplace and Logistics. Email Anne-Ashley at anne_ashley@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

Katherine Murphy, Media Relations Chair, discussed the feature in the Washington Post on the SCWW. This year the committee will be focused on calendar listings and listservs for promoting the TTF. Adrienne shared that TCC received a Public Service Announcement which ran on Channel 9. View the video here.

Christine Stanton, EDC Co-Chair, encouraged members to join their committee so that the very successful Shop Campagna Kids Card can continue. Without committee members this lucrative fundraiser cannot happen in 2010. Cards will be available at the next Membership meeting for purchase. The EDC is in need of a committee to help run the Shop Campagna Kids Card for 2010. The cards cost $50.00 and provide the holder with two 10-day discounted shopping sprees at participating Alexandria boutiques. The EDC Co-Chairs need 3 people who can work with vendors in town to get them to participate again this year and 3 people who can sell cards. Adrienne shared that the Shop Campagna Kids Card reflects a shift in Junior Friends from hosting many events with a great deal of up front expenses to this fundraiser which last year raised $5,000 without public relations or much overhead.

Emily Passmore, Programs Chair, shared that 25 girls are participating in the LEEP Mentors program. These Latina girls qualify by excelling in math, science and technology at T.C. Williams High School. TCC is in need of Junior Friends to sign-up to be Mentors to these girls. Mentors will help them prepare for college through SAT prep, etc. TTC just received their second Rainmakers grant for this program due to its success. This is the first time Rainmakers has given two grants to any single program. The T.C. Williams Principal shared that there has been a 7% increase in the graduation rate within their Latina community due in part to this program. The Fall program consisted of Juniors and Seniors and the Spring will add Sophomores. Emily has sign-up forms available for those interested in applying to become a Mentor. Mentors meet with students roughly once a month to check-in and see how they are doing. You can correspond throughout the school year via email. Junior Friends do not need a math or science background to be a Mentor.

Emily also shared that the Essay Review Program reviewed 10 essays this Fall. Programs will be hosting another Essay Review in the Spring, likely on President’s Day. Those Junior Friends who do not have the time to be a Mentor may be interested in helping with the Essay Review.

Emily shared that the Service Day will tentatively take place April 17th. The locations will be Tiny Titans and Jefferson Houston Head Start Program. Tiny Titans needs planters in their new playground and Jefferson Houston is in need of painting on their blacktop and flower beds. If anyone has a landscaping background or knows of any contacts with a garden center for donations, please contact Emily or the EDC Co-Chairs, Christine Stanton and Kristen Gullot.

Allison Brooks, Social Chair, invited everyone to attend the Mardi Gras Party at 219 Restaurant on January 30th at 7:00 p.m. 219 has graciously extended the Restaurant Week promotion ($35.00 for 3 courses) for our seated dinner. After dinner at 9:00 p.m. there will be live entertainment from the Grammy nominated band, Lost Highway. Cover is $5.00. We will have private rooms for both events. There also is a cigar bar upstairs.
February 6th is the boutique district warehouse sale at the Masonic Temple. Sunday, February 28th is the annual Junior Friends rescheduled brunch at Belle Haven Country Club 12:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. More information will follow. March events will include a St. Patrick’s Day party and an ice skating day with our children. May events will include TTF and a co-ed Happy Hour TBD.

Nicole Duncan, SCWW Co-Chair, again thanked all of the committees and Co-Chairs for their hard work. They are already looking forward to 2010, the 40th Anniversary and working out any kinks that took place this year, so as to not repeat them. The Masonic Temple is a successful venue, however if anyone has any other ideas on other venues please let her know. TCC is also looking for a Grand Marshall for 2010. This person should be fun/glamorous with a local fit and preferably not be political.

Adrienne asked the membership, on behalf of Rebecca Chatterjee, to check out the blog (www.juniorfriendsofttc.blogspot.com) and send any updates or photos to her. Adrienne invited everyone to stay after to sign-up for committees, ask questions of the committee chairs and socialize. We are keeping the post-meeting social event at TCC so everyone can participate.

Adrienne picked the raffle winners – new member, Jeanie Barton, member, Jessica Richardson and Day of Duty raffle (for those who did two shifts or a late-night shift) Jeannine Ginivan.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:49 p.m.